I know it's years later but I gotta answer beedub's comment. Basically he's ragging on folks reviewing shows that they didn't attend themselves. And saying something like if you didn't see the Dead back when he did then your opinion kind of doesn't matter. I myself didn't see the Dead until '85 (at the age of 17) and that wasn't my choice- I love the 60's and early stuff and can't really listen to anything later than that. But I can listen to two different 1969 Dark Stars and comment on them if I like. Especially when so many of these shows are online, if one listens to a lot of them one can develop a pretty educated idea of what the Dead were doing during a certain time period. Of course being at a show is different than listening to just the audio years later. But music is music, we can hear what's going on. Yeah, we can't see what t-shirt Jerry is wearing that night, or how scuffed up the floor is. But to assert that only those who attended shows are allowed to comment on them is wrong-headed. Just sayin.

The second trip to Colorado and the 4th show in the state; but the first [of 49] with recorded evidence. The first trip was in '67 and had three shows in a row. The first two dates of those were at the Family Dog, on Evans (at Pecos). It had just opened, a couple weeks prior, with Joplin/BBHC; an early booking for a young Barry Fey, who had received the blessing from Chet Helms to use the Family Dog branding and booking apparatus (getting Hendrix as well as Captain Beefheart during its brief run). The third date was a free gig at City Park, as part of the "Human Be-In". In fact, the preceding gig at Hollywood Bowl was likely taken to offset the trip and allow a free show at the Be In. The Dead played just a few songs, setting up on the berm below the steps on the west side of the Natural History Museum. Beefheart also played, as well as Lothar & the Hand People (the Denver band that pioneered the Moog and the Theremin as live instruments). Stinkfoot's photos. Timothy Leary came as the experienced be-in helper, and also led a meditation (and, natch, offered doses).

Not a shred of audio exists for the three '67 shows, but there were undoubtedly a handful of new Heads ready for the '69 return at the Glenn Miller Room in nearby Boulder (though it would have collected mostly college hippies - not lacking in Boulder at the height of Nam). This show is in fine quality: we have a nearly 2hr set followed by a 15min encore - all that is extant (with some cuts, mostly brief, and missing tunings). They returned to Colorado less than 3mos later, the other way from Denver, in Colorado Springs. This was mainly a ballroom tour, and they had played a campus ballroom the previous night, at U of U. They also played a whopping show a few days later in St. Lou. But this show is something of a hidden gem, even though it looms in the lore: this was the day Jer bought his steel guitar.

First Set. It seems like there should be a song in front of Lovelight, but it is probably the opener - you can hear Bobby test the mic to see if it's live. A fine enough version, although it does contain a whole blues jam inside. Unfortunately the end is missing, and it's possible it went over ½hr (common at the time; there's a 48min on 6/6). The cut continues, missing the first two verses of Doin' That Rag. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl is solid, if typical, and a bit low key. As others have noted, it's at Morning Dew that things blow wide. X factor arrives and Glenn Miller becomes Zen Chiller. This is potent, and Jer just reaches, as the huge B&W picture of Miller on the back wall drips out of the frame, slides to the floor, turns the 90 degree angle, and puddles. Pachouli spinners splash and the droplets colorize. Dew fleets into Dark Star. Others have already raved about this Dark Star, and even though there are so many, this is in the top 10 of '69 for me too. It has a certain flow and the dynamics are in the right places. April was a strong month for Dark Stars [which see 4/27 & 4/17]. There's no wheel-spinning, it just travels straight up the Front Range of the Rockies and spreads out across the continent. As Fixur notes, during this there was a liquid light show and strobe lights; intense! There's a cut @10: 10 but it's probably not very big, and we still have 24mins. St. Stephen is interesting because it's jammed for almost 4mins before the first verse - though nothing very unique develops therein. Just the Stephen through the William Tell bridge and into The Eleven is 21mins. It really gets intense and jammed-out. I don't always queue up for a Death Don't, but you should stick this one out, 'cause it does become a big one, and Jer sticks a pen in his heart and spills all over the stage. After a few listens the crescendos really stuck with me.

Second Set. There was apparently just a short break before they played Alligator, so not really two complete sets. A few seconds are cut from the beginning, and who knows how much is missing from the end jam. Maybe not much because we have over 14mins. The punters had been shouting for Alligator - as with most shows from then until the hiatus. But it makes sense here because this was the song local fans were familiar with (as Aoxomoxoa had not yet been released), they were unfamiliar with most of the first set, and those that saw the '67 shows may have remembered Alligator as a showstopper. It's hard to tell if this was an encore or if there was another song, but as far as this campus ballroom tour goes this was about the average show length and number of songs. If anything, there may have been a Cosmic Charlie. The tranny out of Drums is better on the cotsman_6287.

Overall = B
4 stars   H.G.

Highlights:
Morning Dew - zen chiller
Dark Star - splashing psychedelic puddles
The Eleven - intense and jammed-out
Death Don't Have No Mercy - one of the era's best versions

SOURCES: The miller_87378 is the most-recent mastering of the existing SBD. The speed wavers just a bit throughout, being slightly fast at first and then peaking at St. Stephen, which needs -2% pitch correction, the rest needing -1%, except Doin' That Rag (+/-0).

Foxr - Please try to recall the (still blank) setlists of those Family Dog shows for everybody!

beedub has some good thoughts that a GD 'show' stands/exist(ed) apart from the music itself. I never went to a GD 'show,' I went to Dead Again -er some silly name- show in 2017 that was truly horrible. Despite resurrecting old bones, I am a musician (jazz saxophone) and I have listened to every soundboard, quality GD show that I can find from '67 and '69, so I am listening to the music. Putting the aural mix with what i read from a dozen or so books about the Dead, I can infer some details from the 'show,' but, of course I was not at any of them. Every musician that I know feels that their music itself has to be able to stand or sink on its own. I agree. Certainly from an experimental music standpoint, the GD's music after late 1970 has little interest to me.

At 15 mark of LoveLight Jerry throws in a very distinct Walkin That Dog lick or 2 or 3 plays it a few more times then they continue on with LoveLight.
This show is Crazy good , Google the name of Ballroom place is tiny.
oh ya am 54

garcia is absolutely on fire, wonderful dark star. sadly the alligator cuts off as they are really heating up.

I walk past the entrance to the Glen Miller Ballroom almost every single day and it still blows my mind that the Grateful Dead played that room.

The Dark Star, while it doesnt necessarily stand head and shoulders above all the other great Stars from from this incredible period, is very much worth listening to carefully at loud volume. Jerry's got that super thick tone, and the band hits all the right buttons. The Stephen is good, the Eleven is better than good, and the Death Don't is even better.

It's unfortunate that the tape runs out during the Alligator jam because they are playing well...

Wow, VERY jam-heavy performance. Like another user posted, Jerry displays some Allman Brothers influence here. Lovelight, School girl, and Dark Star stand out the most for me in terms of extensive jams. Overall a strong performance. A few hit or miss moments, but certainly a noteworthy '69 show. God bless this era of the Dead.

This St. Stephen>The Eleven takes the cake for me. Quite enjoyable on a good system full blast. Jerry will blow you away and the accompaniment is solid.

Jerry sounds a little like Duane Allman in the first 5min of Lovelight.
Nice guitar and singing on 'Rag'.
Pigpen plays a mean harp on 'Schoolgirl'!
'Morning Dew' is raw and excellent!!
'Dark Star' is slow and meandering... like Jerry is searching for something.. sounds like they might be dosed and no one can find it. After 20min they come back to this dimension and play the end of the song.
They struggle to find 'St Stephen'... Jerry finds it! 6min in Jerry sings a sweet verse and then lays into his guitar and doesn't let up though a killer 'Eleven'!!!
A Deep 'Death'.
Alligator is good. The jam after Drums leads into a 'We bid you good night' jam and then the sound fades out..
Overall a great show in a great place

EVERY time I read these reviews I have the same thoughts; 1) How old are you? Or, better yet, 2) When did you see your first show? Don't get me wrong, if you weren't around when the Dead were making their reputation, well, that's not your fault. It sure would help make sense of some of these statements, though, that's for sure. For example, Clementine's caboose states this is one of the best DS's from '69. Wow, you were at most or all of the '69 DS performances? Or, are you basing your opinion off of tapes? Now, If you were at the shows you have my utmost respect and your opinion means something. If you're using tapes to make your opinion (news flash--tapes won't tell you how good or bad a show was) and didn't see a show pre-'78, well, then I think differently. Anyway, just one guys (1st show, May '70, 180 total over 25 years) opinion.

This was my third Dead show after the two Denver Dog shows in 1967. Several hundred people showed up. Two big PA speakers sat on the dance floor. The sound was awesome in that great little ballroom. Liquid light show and strobes. The band started hitting it with Morning Dew. If it weren't for a cut at the worst possible moment in Dark Star this version would be my favorite on the archive. The dynamics were incredible. At one point during Dark Star when it was getting a little spacey Mickey bounced out to the front of the stage and started clapping his hands. The crowd picked it up, and the Dead swung into the new beat with us. Cool! At one point the Dead pulled off such a dynamic change that everyone around me stopped dancing and looked at the stage. You can hear both happenings on the recording. Phil was in another (musical) world, his mouth sometimes hanging slackly open as he focused on his playing. Tired from dancing, I sat on the stage next to Pigpen's organ during Alligator. After the show as the band was leaving they called out "Hey Pigpen, let's go!". Pig was talking to a bunch of kids at the front of the stage. "Nah, man. I gotta talk wit my fans!" No shit.

I got a peeve. This was a great band, and I'm sure all was good at the end of most days, but I've been a blues singer & harmonica player in a band and I hate it--HATE it--when the rest of the boys step on Pigpen's lead. When Pig says, "Now WAIT a minute," that's supposed to be a cue. It means SHUT THE HELL UP, GARCIA! It breaks my heart to hear a good man kept down like that. All you guitarists out there, don't do what Garcia does in this Lovelight, or I will throw something at you! I don't care how good you can sound if you're drowning out a soulman.

That being said, I can't fault the quality of the jamming. It's a pretty chaotic show, but parts of it are just spectacular.

I can hear his guitar, but no Bobby tunes? If Jerry or Pigpen had opted out for a night or extended playlist, it would warrant discussion, but not so for our man Weir?

Can't say it's my favourite performance from '69 but a great listen. The 11 is above average with some great jamming and the DS is a beauty as well.

Thought it isn’t as strong as the April Avalon or Ark run, and there are some bad cuts (especially during an otherwise killer Alligator jam) I think that this show is one of April's best hidden gems. The sound quality is great for '69, especially the Miller transfer.

Highlights are plentiful: the Lovelight opener is strong, as well as a nice Schoolgirl with Pig and Garcia trading some hot licks. A fantastically jammed out Morning Dew follows, with Garcia starting from a beautiful whisper and rising to a blinding crescendo. Also a great, jazzy version of the Eleven, and the aforementioned Alligator, with a very nice 'Bid You Goodnight' jam.

But the must-hear highlight is an epic version of Dark Star, one of the very best performances of the song in 1969. I’ve gone back and forth on this a lot, but I think this could be my favorite version of the year, too.

The pre-verses jamming is extraordinary; Garcia’s use of dynamics is simply masterful, escalating and relaxing at the perfect moments. After a brief space, the band launch into a fast paced, psychedelic jazz jam, Garcia, Lesh and the drummers intertwining very nicely. Things become a bit poignant, just before Garcia rides the Dark Star theme powerfully to an intense conclusion.

Stuff!

For fans of the Eleven, this show is a rare treat as it has one of the finest DS>SS>11 sequences I have heard in a long time. The Death Don't is also beautiful and poetic. If you are a fan of the deep, dark, psychedelic, acid Dead of '69 then don't miss this one. Great Miller board and five stars for the boys!

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40 years ago today the GRATEFUL DEAD performed Live in Boulder, at the Ballroom, where were you?

I couldn't be there in 69, but I showed up today, where were you?

I highly recommend adding this show to your 1969 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.

It's a Charlie Miller transfer. I highly recommend clicking on Charlie Miller's name and collecting all his GRATEFUL DEAD shows, he has impeccable taste.

Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the Love from 1969.

I had never heard of this show till I was doing a search for Dark Stars on Set List.

Playin in the Glenn Miller Ballrooom in the UMC on the Boulder campus, this is a real classic, great sound great great jams and over twenty minute DS & Lovelight.

Don't miss this hidden classic.

Performance: excellent, classic '69 show, raw energy, power jamming, huge harmonica part in the Schoolgirl. It's remarkable for this 80's deadhead to hear the harp competing with Jerry's guitar for solos and playing time. I'll give 4.5 stars. Great song selection; Rockin' Dew, and an amazing, amazing DarkStar, with a 20 minute Jerry solo intro! Rippin' versions of St. Stephen and Alligator. Recommended.

Sound quality is not perfect, there is a slight hiss, and a few defects, but nothing major, very listenable, 4 stars.